Tyrone Area School District Recieves $10,000 Grant to Improve STEM Education

By Jaylon Beck and Tiffany Hoy|October 18, 2016

Alex Stehley

The Tyrone High School Agricultural Education Program was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Monsanto Corporation through the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Program at a ceremony at Tyrone High School on Thursday, October 13.

“It is an honor to receive this grant,” said Tyrone High School Ag Teacher Tiffany Hoy, “Each year I start a new course or continue to add more STEM lessons and hands-on simulations to the curriculum, I’m always having to deal with a small equipment budget.”

According to Hoy, the grant will be used to modernize Tyrone’s ag program with an expanded focus on STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) .

The grant has been used to purchase a wide range of Vernier sensors that will be used with existing equipment in several of Hoy’s classes, but particularly the new Agriculture Power and Technology (APT) course that was started this year.

Local farmer Bill Hoover, who attended the grant award ceremony, is amazed by how agriculture education has evolved from when he was a student.

“Forty-five years ago [ag education] looked a lot different than it does now. Back then it was about cows and plows. If a female walked in the room, everyone stopped and looked.  The program today looks amazing and look at all the females involved,” said Hoover.

The goal of the program is not only to help train the next generation of farmers, but to help prepare students for many types of careers focusing on the environment.

“I know not all of you may be entering a traditional agriculture career, but Monsanto is a large company and we are looking for marketing people, scientists, and business personnel,”  said Monsanto representative Clint Black.

Bill and Deb Hoover, Clint Black and Tiffany Hoy are pictured with the wooden plaque and some of the Vernier equipment purchased with the grant.
Bill and Deb Hoover, Clint Black and Tiffany Hoy are pictured with the wooden plaque and some of the Vernier equipment purchased with the grant.

The school received the grant after being nominated by local farmers from Tyrone, Warriors Mark, Spruce Creek and Sinking Valley.

“I don’t think anyone realizes how many students are impacted by a simple nomination,” said Hoy, “We are so blessed to have been able to use this grant to purchase all of the equipment.  The nice part is that many of the kits and sensors are used in my other courses as well.”

Since 2011, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program has awarded more than $11 million to over 700 rural school districts to enhance STEM education.

For a complete list of winners and to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit www.GrowRuralEducation.com.